Loop-transfer mechanism for knitting machines



ugo 26, @2% TiQAZ K. HioWuE LOOP TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed May 11, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 26, W24 LSAZ? K. Hom/:E

LOOP TRANSFR MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed May 1l, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,B/ I@ @Jamai/7'@ m@ K. How/@E LOOP TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed May ll 1922 v Sheets-Sheet 5 Aug, 26, E924@ L56A27 K. Hom/IE LOOP TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed may 113 1922 4 sheets-sheet 4 Eem A l l o Ziwmaw Patented Ang., 25, ld.

STATES .@FFlE.

KENNETH HOWIE, F NORRISTQWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 WELDMN MFG. CGL, @JF NOBRISTWN, PENNSYLVANA, A. CORPORATIN' 0F PENNSYLVANA.

LlP-TBANSFER MECHANISM FOR KNTTEBTG MACHINES.

Application :ed May l1, 1322.

To all 'whom t may concern.

` Be known that l, KENNETH Howie,

a citizen of the United States, and resident of Norristown, in the county of Montgomery, in the Statept Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Vllmprovements in lLoo -Transier Mechanism .for Knitting Machines, of which the ollowing is a specification. l

The invention is designed to produce ribbed topsffor transfer to the needles of a stocking knitting machine. The ribbed tops are knit in string work with alternating portions of plain fabric between the 33 ribbed tops and with welts suitably disposed. rlhe last cours-e of rib knitting has its dial loops transferred to the cylinder needles and then the plain fabric portion is knit on the cylinder needles. The resultant product has the last course of the c llnder and dial loops in registration, eac pair bein interknit with a stitch of the plain fabric so that in transferring the ribbed top to the needles of the stocking machine, it is necessary or the operative to perform only one half of the usual transfer actions because the rib loops are transferred in pairs, i. e., a dial loop and its companion cylinder loop. rlihe courses of plain abric which are attached to the rib fabric are ravelled out after the transfer has been eected.

The invention consists in the features and. combination. and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

lin the drawings Fi e 1 is a plan 1flew of so much ot a knitting head as is necessary to lead to an yunderstanding of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view in the nature of a diagram showing the cams of the dial and loop transfer elements, as though the suporting plate and ring tor thesecams had een removed.

Fig. 3 is a view of the cylinder cams develo ed.

Fig. l is a vertical sectional View of onehalf of the needles linder and the dial with bed for the transfer elements and their came.

Fig. d@ is a detail view of a part of the their cams and wit the supporting ring or Serial No. 560,698.

cylinder cam casing and the cam ring of the transfer elements with the means which connect them together. i

Figs. 5 to 11 are views of the needles and transfer elements in the various positions they assume at dierent steps in the operation of transferring the dial loops to the c rlinder needles and performing plain knit-y ting on the cylinder needles.

Fig. 12 shows details of the needle and transfer elements.

Fig. 13 is a view showing the arrangement of the loop lifting member.

The invention is shown as carried out on a machine having rotary cams, but it will be understood that the invention is not limited in this respect, as it may be carried out in connection with a rotary needle carrier type of machine.

ln the drawings, 1 is the red base ring of the knittin head supporting as a fixture, the needle cy inder 2. The rotary needle cam box 3 is driven, as is customary, through a gear, not shown, meshing with the bevelled gear d on the base or the cam box 3.

The needle dial is supported by a dial post, as is usual, and any suitable'nieans may be employed for holding the dial against rotation, such. as dogs, as have been employed heretofore, or the dogless mechanism disclosed in reissue Letters Patent oit the United States of G. L. Ballard, March 28, 1916, No. 14,092, may be used and in the present description: we will assume thatthe latter mechanism is employed. y'lthe dial cap or cam plate 6 is connected with the cam ring 16 or the loop transferring elements 11i by a link 6 and this cam ring 16 is connected with and is driven by* the `cylinder cam ring 3. For this purpose as shown in lig. 4E, a pin 7 is fixed in the cam ring 16 and depends between ears of a block 7 which is xed by a screw 7 to a post 7"I fixed in the cylinder cam ring 3. Screws 7y serve to adjust the cam ring 16 in proper circumferential relation to the cam ring 3. From this construction, it will be seen that the rotating cylinder cam ring 3 drivesl the cam ring 16 of the trans-fer elements 142,'

bracket or arm which engages the pin 8 of the link 6 which latter, as before stated, connects the dial cap with the cam ring 16 of the transfer points or hooked elements.

This forked arm 8 is for rotating the center plate of the dogless attachment (said plate being indicated at 6 in the said Ballard patent).

The'bed 9 for these transfer elements is fixed by screws 9 and clamping washers 10to the annular rib or extension 11 of the needle cylinder and is thus held stationary.

All of the beds 'of the cyli'nder needles, dial needles and transfer elements 14 are slotted for guiding the elements carried thereby. i

The cylinder needles lare the ordinary latch needles.

' The dial needles are of the ordinary latch type excepting that in the exterior surface of their hookssthe said dial needles are provlded each with a recess 12 adapted to receive the upstanding point 13 of the loop transfer elements 14. These loop transfer members are Yin the form of metal pieces slidably mounted in the radial grooves of the ring or bed 9, and they have butts 15 for engaglng the cam groove of the cam ring 16.

Came for needles ami die? Zoop transfer @1mm/ata' The cams for the cylinder. needles are mostly of 'ordinary form including, howleo ever, a cam 3x tor advancing the cylinder needles to take on the dial loops. The stitch `cam 3 of this set is adapted to be depressed for makin a loose course and as in ordinary practice, t is is accomplished by a striker or roller 17 which, as in the Wildman type of machine,- is adapted to be raised to dr?- ferent elevations by pattern mechanism to be struck by connect arms carried by the cam box, and actuating controlling means of the cams. At 18, 'liig i, is shown a pair of these arms geared together to operate on arm 18 which determines the y osition up or down of the stitch cam, as in ordinary practi.

The dial cam set includes an advancing or wing cam 19 of siibstantially ordinary forni pivoted to the cam cap or carrier 6 at 19. 20 is the dial stitch cam. 21 is the cam for projecting dial needles for loop transfen ring. This cam is pivoted tothe cap 6 at 21. 22 is the transfer retracting cam, which comes into use during the transfer of stitches from the dial to the cylinder needles. and 23 is e cern ior advancing the dial needles to have their latches opened by e latch opener, this latch opeixng acties curring after the dial loops have been transferred leaving the needles bare.

The cams for the transfer elements include an advancing cam 25 pivot/ed at 25',

'and' afixed retracting cam composed of two inclines 26, 26', with a dwell 27 between them.

The pivoted cams, i. e., the wing cam 19, the transfer projecting cam 21, and the advancing cam 25, of the loop transfer elements, are all operated to their different positions by Contact arms on the rotary cam box striking the roller 17 when this is moved vertically by pattern mechanism into the plane of travell of these various arms.

Fig. 1 shows two contact arms 28, 28 inter-connected by teeth 29 for giving reverse movements to a link 30 through an arm 31. Thesearms 28, 28 lie in different horizontal planes.v At 32, 32x are contact armsl at Vdifferent elevations to strike the roller 17 when this is moved into their respective paths of travel, and `these arms, which are geared together, control through an arm 33, arm 34, link 35 and arm 36,' the positions in or out of the cams 21 and 25.

lConnection to thepivoted arms is effected by pins 37, 38 and 39 through slots in the cam cap or ring, as shown in Fig. 1. The

two cams 21 and 25 are operated from the same set of connections from the contact arms 32, 32".

Sequence of mooementsvof knitting elements and diall Zoop transfer elements.

Normally, during ordinary rib knitting the transfer elements 14 which are to transfer the dial loops of the last course of rib knitting of the top or cuff onto the cylinder needles, are retracted and lie with their points 13 slightly back within their gulde grooves in the bed 9. In makmg the last courseof rib knittincf the stitch cam for the cylinder needles is depressed for making a loose course. On the next revolution the dial wing cam, or needle advancing cam, 1s set in its inward osition, i. e., toward the center of the machme so that the dial needles will not Abe advanced for knitting, but they will hold their old loop. The dial is l'then racked or shogged circumferentially so that the dial needles will occupy the same vertical planes in which the cylinder needles 11e instead of lying in radial planes between the radial planes in which the cylinder needles lie. rlhis shogg'ing action may be performed in various ways, for instance, through an arm 4() connected with the dogless head as shown by screws 41, dotted lines Fig. 1, said arm 40 being swung around the desired distance by an arm 42 having movement about l Eil CII incassa ally speaking, is common in the art. lt is forecasted in the patent of Butz No. 1,012,982, December 26, 1911, though in that patent it 'was proposed that it be done/by hand. This shogging of the dial takes place in the last halt oil the same revolution in which the wing cam 19 is set inwardly, as above described. @n this same revolution, the dial cam 2l is moved to the position shown in Fig. 2 to project the dial needles for having their loops transferred to the cylinder needles, and simultaneously with the settingr of this cam 21, the advancing cam 25 of the transfer elements is thrown to advanced position, or in other words, towards the center of the machine because both cams 2l and 25 are operated through the same connection -troni the contact arm 32.

@ne revolution now takes place to transier the loops from lthe dial needles to the Vcylinder needles. When the transfer or dial loops has been edected, the dial is shogged back to normal position so that its needles instead of lying in the radial planes oi the cylinder needles, will lie over the spaces between them and the cylinder needles vcan then perform knitting operations to make plain `ahric. 'lhe knitting ot the plain Ifabric on the cylinder needles may take place tor any desired number otrevolutions, say, sin courses loil plain fabric are knit. Boring this time the latches o'l' the dial needles are opened hy a suitable latch opener, and or this purpose the dial needles are advanced by the camv 23. Atte-r this the dial wing cam i9 is restored to normal outward position to advance the dial needles to receive yarn and lrnit rib fabric in con.

g'unction with the cylinder needles.

Trrmsfewvbtg loops.

'The different steps in the transferring op- 'in 5 the transfer members are inY normal retracted position with their upstanding points i3, slightly bach within the guide grooves oi the hed 9, say ,le ot an inch. The loose course having heen termed and the dial wing cam set to prevent further Knitting on the dial needles, the dialn is sli-rigged to inalre the dial needle planes coincide with 'radial planes in which the loop transfer members and the cylinder needles The dial needles are then proiected as Fig. t hy cam 2l, so that their hoolls l2 will enter slightly the guide grooves hed 9 et the loop transfer naernlxeis. To insure the entry oil the hooks the dial needles into these grooves, the mouths of said Grooves may he slightly dared. These progected dialneedles will receive inthe notches l2 ot their hoolrs the points ld et the transiter memhers, asindiand tney will have heen projected so far that their latches will shed their loops ontofthe needle stems back of the latches. 'lhe engaged elements, i. e., dial needles and loop 'transfer members, now move inwardly towards the center of the machine as shown in Fig. 7 until the hooks of the dial needles lie slightly back 'of the mouths of the uide grooves of the dial, the dial needles going pushed into this position by the loop transfer elements. 'lhe dial loop 1n this action inst described will be cast overthe needle hook and the point 13 of the transfer element now embedded therein and Nwill lodge in the recess 13 oi the transfer elementadjacent the base of the opstanding point 13. During this action of course, the dial needle latch will be closed.

The loop transfer element with the dial loop hanging in its recess 13 will now recede outwardly part way by the action oi" cam incline 26 and this loop will be held directly over the cylinder needle, the fabric take-up, together with the transfer element determining this location oi the dial loop. rlhe cylinder needle is now projected upwardly through its old loop and the dial loop but it is not projected tar enough to shed these loops from its latch onto its stem. 'lhe projection is sucient, however, to get the hoolr oil the cylinder needle above these loops and the upward movement ol the needle will lit't the dial loop oh irorn the point i3 of the' transiter device. The actions just descrihed taire place at .the dwell between the inclined cam surfaces 26 26"'. Should the dial loop not be lifted trom the transfer' needle, the loop will he raised from the transiter device hy a loop shedding memloer consisting oie a wire attached 'to the dial cap and rotating therewith around the needle circle.

'Ehe cylinder needle having received the transferred dial loop, now recedes and this loop is now talren hy the hook of the cyl inder needle. At shout this same time the loop transfer member recedes to normal position hy the action or cam incline 26. The dial now is sho-gged hach to normal position. The cylinder needle will now be advanced hy its advancing cam to take new l yarn and maire plain lahric Jlor a umher ot courses. The wing cam then he restored to operative position and the dial i conjunction with the cylind-r needles, completing one cycle ci operation rihhed top alternating with the coursesot plain aloric.

needles will he operated to maltel rile tahric which is re seated to maire the string worlr es to cause its forward. end to taire under tlle loop on the 'transiter member and raise ity over the point thereof. l do not limit my sell herein to the use ot this loop vice. lt is employed e supplemental ifea-v The loo lii'tinc member 50 is so dis Used I hv ting de Sii ture. The natural ed'ect of the rising cylinder needle is. to lift the loop from the transfer element.

This specification with the accompanying drawing, being addressed to those skilled in the art of lknitting, it will be understood that changes may be made Within the skill of the yexpert machine builder Without departing from the principles of the 'inventiona The speoication and drawings are therefore to be taken in an illustrative sense and not as restrictive upon the scope of the invention, which latter is defined by the accompanying claims. As above stated, Welts may be formed in the fabric at suitable points.

ll claim:

l, A knitting machine for making rib and plain fabric having two sets of needles Working in interspaced planes for making rib fabric, a set of transfer members for transferrin the loopls of one set of needles to the ne les, of t e other set and arranged to Work in the same planes with the set of needles which are to receive the transferred loops, means for shogging the first set of needles into line Witlrsaid transfer members, means for reci rocatin the said needles and transfer mem ers sa1d transfer -members taking the loops om the shogged needles and holding them in position to be taken therefrom by the other set of needles, substantially as described, said transfer members being latchless, substantially as described.

2. ln combination in a knitting machine two sets of latch needles cooperating to make rib fabric, means for shogging one set of needles into position to have their loops transferred to the needles of the other set, a series of latchless transfer members to receive the loops cast from the shogged needles, said transfer members holding the cast loops to be penetrated by the needles of said other set, the movement of said needles removing the loops from the transfer members, substantially as described.

3. lin combination, ina knitting machine two series of latch needles for making rib fabric, and a series of latchless transfer members for receiving the needle Wale loops Afrom one series of needles and holding them to be penetrated and taken therefrom by the needles of the other series, said transfer members, as a series, being arran ed opposite the series of needles from vv ich they receive the loops.

d. ln combination, in aknitting machine,

two series of latch needles, Qa series of latchless loop transfer members-means for advancingl the needles, of one series and the `transfer members until the hook ends of the said needles and theends 'of the vtransfer' members engage, and for then retract' t the said needles while further advance o.the

ineens? transfer members takes place lto maintain the engagement of said needles and members until after the loops are cast from said engaged ,needles onto the transfer members, and for retracting the transfer members to present the said loops to the needles of the other set, While the needles which have cast their loops remain retracted, andv means for advancing the needles of said other setto penetrate and take olf the cast loops from the transfer members, substantially as described.

5.' lln combination, in a knitting machine,

present the said loops to the needles of the other set, While the needles which have cast their loops remain retracted, and means for 'advancing the needles of said other set to penetrate and take-odthe cast loops from the transfer members, said transfer members being at rest when the loops are taken therel from and thereafter retracting to their normal positions, substantially as described.

6.`A hitting machine having two series of latch needles for making rlb fabric, a

series of latchless transfer members to receive the needle Wale loops cast overthe y`hooks of one set of needles and 'arranged out beyond the said set and vholding 'said loops to be received by the other set of `needles as the latter advance, and means for giving the needles and transfer members their necessary movements, substantially as described'. v

7. A knitting machine having two series of latch needles for making rib fabric, a series of latchless transfer members to receive the needle Wale loops cast from one set of needles and holding said loops to be received by the other set of needles as the latter advance, means having relative movement to and alon the series of transfer Imeans for delivermg the loops from the transfer means, and means for giving the needles and transfermembers their necessary movements, substantially as described. 8. ln combination, in a knitting machine, two series of latch needles, a series of latchless loop transfer` members,means for advancing the `needlesofoneseries and the transfer members until the hook ends of the said needles and the ends of the transfer said needles while further advance o members engage, and for then retractin tlhie v transfer members takes place to maintain the engagement of said needles and members until after the lbops are cast from said en-- gaged needles onto the transfer members, and for retracting the transfer members to present the said loops to the needles of the other set, while the needles which have cast their loops remain retracted, and means for advancing the needles of said other set to receive the loops from the transfer members, substantially as described.

9. In a rib knitting machine two series of latch needles, a series of hooked but latchless transfer members with means for advancing them to lay their hooked ends against the hook ends of advanced needles of one set and to follow up and maintain said engagement as the said advanced needles retract to make said transfer members receive the loops cast from said needles, said transfer members then retracting to a position to hold said loops in position to be penetrated by the needles of the other set, the said loops being delivered to the last mentioned needles over the upwardly directed hooks of the transfer members, substantially as described.

10. In a rib knitting machine, two series of latch needles for making rib fabric, one of said series having notches in the exterior of their hook ends, a series of transfer members having their ends adapted to enter said notches to receive the loops cast from said needles, said loops being held by said members to be received by the needles of the other series and, means for giving the needles and transfer' members their movements, substantially as described.

11. Inkcombination in a knitting machine, two series of latch needles for making rib fabric, the needles of one series having notches in theirV hook ends, and transfer members having hooks to lay in said notches with the points of said hooks directed to the front or latch side of said needles,` said hooked transfer members receiving the cast loops from the said needles, and holding the same in position to be penetrated by the needles of the-other set which receive them, substantially as described.

12. In combination, in a circular lmitting machine, cylinder and dial latch needles, for makingv rib fabric, and a series of latchless transfer members surrounding the circle of ldial needles. and mounted to reciprocate in line with said dial needles, to engage said needles when advanced and follow up the retracting movement of saiddial needles to receive the loops cast therefrom, said transfer members then retracting part way to position, the said loops'to be penetrated by the cylinder` needles, while the dial needles remain retracted, said cylinder needles receivloop transfer members having hooks to lie y in said recesses, the inner sides of said hooks being inclined from their base portions towards the ends of the members to facilitate the delivery of the loops from said members, substantially as described.

14. In combination, two series of needlesfor producing rib fabric, and a set of members for transferring the loops from the needles ofone set to the needles of the other set for making plain fabric on the latter, said transfer means being latchless and en; aging endmto end the needles of the set rst mentioned to receive the loops cast therefrom.

l5. In combination, two series of needles for producing rib fabric, and a set of members for transferring the loops from the needles of one set to the needles of the other set for making plain fabric on the latter, said transfer. members being latchless and engaging end to end the needles of the set first mentioned to receive the loops cast therefrom, said transfer members retracting after receiving the cast loops to position them to be taken by the needles of the other set, substantially as described.

16. In combination, two series of needles for producing rib fabric, and a set of members for transferrin the loops from the needles of one set to t e needles of the other set for making plain fabric on the latter, said. transfer members being latchless and engaging end to end the needles of the set first mentioned to receive the loops cast therefrom, said transfer members retracting after receiving the cast loops to position them to-be taken by the needles of the other set, one of the sets of devices being shogged to align'it'with the devices of another set,

substantially as described.

17. In combination, two series' of needles for makingl rib fabric, a series of latchless loo trans er elements, means for operating sai elements against the needles of one series to receive the loops cast therefrom and thereafter to position said loops to be penetrated by the needles of the other series, and a loop lifter device for raising the loops from the transfer elements to be lodged onto described.

In testimony whereof, I ax my signature. v

KENNETH 

